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WORTHINGTON — A 22-year-old man is in custody in connection with an early Christmas morning burglary of a downtown Worthington business. Worthington police officers were dispatched just after midnight Dec. 25 to Sterling Drug in response to a burglary alarm. Upon arrival, an officer allegedly witnessed a man later identified as Virgilio Cerda of Worthington inside with a black ski mask over his face. Cerda allegedly gained entry by breaking the pharmacy drive-up window.

WORTHINGTON — Arson is what investigators are alleging following a recent West Dover Street house fire. Criminal charges were recently filed against Amy Erwin, 35, of Worthington, which allege she intentionally set fire to the home at 620 W. Dover St. in the early morning hours of Dec. 12. The Worthington Fire Department extinguished the home, which was unoccupied at the time.

WORTHINGTON — The District 518 Board of Education unanimously approved a half-million-dollar levy reduction during its regular Tuesday board meeting. The actual levy for payable 2019 was approved at $6,153,419.97. After available credits are applied, the net levy is approximately $5,658,000.

WORTHINGTON — A complaint warrant was recently filed against a 20-year-old Worthington man accused of threatening a teenager he reportedly met online. According to the complaint, a Worthington police officer recently learned that Nelson Hopkins-Madina was allegedly sending repeated threatening messages via text and through social media to a teenager he had connected with through Facebook in early November.

WORTHINGTON — A West Dover Street home is considered a complete loss following what has been tagged as a “suspicious” early Saturday morning blaze. According to Worthington Fire Chief Rick von Holdt, the department was paged shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday to 620 W. Dover St. for a structure fire. The home, von Holdt said, was unoccupied at the time.

WORTHINGTON — Through her professional career, Mayra Pinales has met individuals experiencing what she considers “unfairness” in regard to their employment, and she’s made it a point to educate them about their rights. It’s that connection and compassion for victimized people that landed Pinales in a new position at the Southwest Crisis Center. Thanks to grant funding, Pinales is the only advocate in the state that provides services to youth victims up to age 24 of labor trafficking.

WORTHINGTON — A Worthington man was arrested this week and is accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a young girl in early September. Florentino Guzman Ramirez, 51, faces felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Nobles County District Court for allegedly sexually assaulting a female younger than 13 years old. The maximum punishment is 30 years in jail, a $40,000 fine or both.